Local Library Stories Show Impact of Unprecedented Federal Funding Cuts

CHICAGO - Stories from communities from Anaconda, Mont., to Albany, N.Y., came to life today on the American Library Association’s (ALA) Show Up For Our Libraries interactive site map. The stories illustrate the real-life consequences of potential funding cuts to rural, research, city, state, and university library programs and, in turn, to the hundreds of millions of library users across the country, from summer reading programs to telehealth resources, Inter-Library Loan and eBooks.

In conversation with patrons, library professionals and advocates across the country, ALA collected the stories to better understand the impact of cuts to federal funding for libraries since the mid-March announcement of the President's executive order to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

"The executive order has disrupted the delivery of programs and services to families, students, veterans, entrepreneurs and other library users," said Cindy Hohl, President of the American Library Association. "The breadth of library stories we’re hearing from across the country underscores the damage federal funding cuts will have on the majority of communities nationwide. Telling our stories to elected leaders is essential to restoring and sustaining IMLS.”

Stories include:

• A 15-year-old worries that her home-away-from-home library in Anaconda, Mont., will lose hotspots that keep her friends without home internet connected and learning.
• Researchers from upstate N.Y. develop an innovative gaming tool to teach information literacy, thanks to an IMLS grant at risk of being suspended.
• A small-town Nebraska library weighs cutting their general library services and program budget to ensure internet access if the federal E-Rate Program ends.

ALA is encouraging patrons and professionals in all library contexts to share first-hand library impact stories with their elected leaders and with ALA for public advocacy as part of its Show Up For Our Libraries initiative. Advocates can submit stories to ALA and contact their congressmembers from the Show Up For Our Libraries web page.

ALA is urging U.S. congressmembers to visit the libraries that serve their constituents and to vote to preserve the modest library funding in the federal budget. ALA calls on all Americans who value reading and learning to reach out to their elected leaders and Show Up For Our Libraries at library and school board meetings, town halls and everywhere decisions are made about libraries.

On Friday, June 27, 2025, staff from ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office will present a session to introduce library advocates to the new resources, including an activity to design a story. The session, Storytelling Advocacy Jumpstart: Essential tools for building your library story, is part ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition 2025 in Philadelphia. Registered attendees can join the workshop at the Philadelphia Convention Center Room 103A) from 10:30-11:30 a.m. (EDT).

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